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The Folio Society's illustrated edition of Moonraker

Eagerly awaiting new releases from The Folio Society, Bond Lifestyle takes a closer look at the illustrated hardcover edition of Ian Fleming's Moonraker, released in October 2017.

This fourth title in the 007 collectors’ series, the luxurious Moonraker edition features once again original illustrations and a pictorial slipcase by acclaimed illustrator Fay Dalton.

About MoonrakerSir Hugo Drax is a national hero: the self-made millionaire whose gift of a nuclear warhead promises a new era of peace for a nation afraid of a third world war. When M asks Bond to find out why this illustrious man cheats at cards, his concern is only for Drax’s reputation. But when two men die at the ‘Moonraker’ plant in a bizarre murder-suicide, just days before the weapon’s practice shoot, Bond must uncover the terrible truth of Drax’s enterprise and the dark history behind his abominable plans.

The Folio Society edition of Fleming’s third 007 novel features stunning artwork by Fay Dalton which depicts the formidable Moonraker, the disfigured face of one of Fleming’s most convincing villains, and a Bond girl whose beauty is matched by her tenacity and wit. Gala Brand’s relationship with Bond is more nuanced than is often the case in the 007 novels. This leads to a moving final scene that gives a rare glimpse of the occasionally vulnerable man behind the dauntless secret agent.

Set solely in London and on the Kentish coast, this unusual Bond novel sets death-defying feats against a backdrop of intense, finely tuned suspense. This begins with the tense game of bridge which sees Bond duping the cheating Drax, a scene described by Susan Hill as ‘the finest thing Fleming ever wrote’.

About the illustratorFay Dalton is a London-based illustrator. She has a first class degree in Illustration and was the winner of the 2010 Pickled Ink Award for illustration. Fay combines traditional drawing and painting methods with digital painting.